Calvinism and Limited Atonement
Calvinism's doctrine of Limited Atonement, also known as Particular Redemption, teaches that Christ's redeeming work was intended to save the elect only, securing their salvation through His substitutionary endurance of sin's penalty. This doctrine contrasts with Universal Redemption, emphasizing that Christ's death effectively puts away the sins of those chosen for salvation, not conditional on individual acceptance. Key texts and theological perspectives further elaborate on this crucial aspect of Calvinist belief.
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The 5 Points of Calvinism: Limited Atonement
Brief recap 1. Atonement: Blot out offense, restore relationship. 2. The need for atonement: God holiness/justice; our sin 3. Theories of atonement: Penal Substitution: Christ, the God- Man, satisfies the offense to God's infinite justice as our substitute by His perfect obedience and death on the cross where He takes the place of sinners, has their sin is imputed to Him, and He pays the penalty for their sin. 4. Fulfillment: Christ is the substance of/fulfills OC sacrifices. 5. Benefits: redeemed, reconciled, propitiated, purchased 6. Unless universalist, either the power, or scope is "limited".
The Extent of the Atonement: For Whom Did Christ Die?
Redemption Accomplished: WCF 8.5 The Lord Jesus, by his perfect obedience, and sacrifice of himself,1 which he, through the eternal Spirit, once offered up unto God,2 hath fully satisfied the justice of his Father; and purchased, not only reconciliation, but an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven,3 for all those4 whom the Father hath given unto him. Redemption Applied: WCF 8.8 8. To all those for whom Christ hath purchased redemption, he doth certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same; making intercession for them, and revealing unto them, in and by the Word, the mysteries of salvation; effectually persuading them by his Spirit to believe and obey, and governing their hearts by his Word and Spirit...
I. Preliminary Texts: Jn 10:14-15 I am the good shepherd and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice 26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. Rom 8:32-33 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.
II. Two Views Briefly Stated 3. Universal Redemption/General Atonement 3. Particular Redemption/Limited Atonement Christ's redeeming work made it possible for everyone to be saved but did not actually secure the salvation of anyone. Although Christ died for all men and for every man, only those who believe in Him are saved. His death enabled God to pardon sinners on the condition that they believe, but it did not actually put away anyone's sins. Christ's redemption becomes effective only if man chooses to accept it. Christ's redeeming work was intended to save the elect only and actually secured salvation for them. His death was a substitutionary endurance of the penalty of sin in the place of certain specified sinners. In addition to putting away the sins of His people, Christ's redemption secured everything necessary for their salvation, including faith which unites them to Him. The gift of faith is infallibly applied by the Spirit to all for whom Christ died, thereby guaranteeing their salvation.
III. The Options A. Universalism: Christ s death guaranteed salvation for every human being. Unlimited efficacy/extent B. Actual/Effectual/Particular Atonement: Christ's atoning death was sufficient to save all, but efficient only for the elect. God's design was for Christ to actually/effectively/particularly atone for the sins of the His people (elect) to secure every spiritual blessing and guarantee their salvation. Jesus actually, not potentially, saved every person He came to save by His sacrificial work alone. Unlimited in power/limited in extent. C. General Atonement: Christ s death made salvation possible for all, but actual only for those who add to it a response of faith that was not secured by it. Limited (no!) power/Unlimited extent.
John Owen by John Greenhill.jpg D. John Owen's statement of options: The Father imposed His wrath due unto, and the Son underwent punishment for, either: 1. All the sins of all men. If true, why aren't all saved? "You answer, "Because of unbelief." I ask, Is this unbelief a sin, or is it not? If it be, then Christ suffered the punishment due unto it, or He did not. If He did, why must that hinder them more than their other sins for which He died? If He did not, He did not die for all their sins!" 2. All the sins of some men. "If true, then Christ suffered for all the sins of all the elect in the whole world this is the truth." 3. Some of the sins of all men. "if the last be true, all men have some sins to answer for, and so, none are saved."
IV. The real issues: actually saved at the Cross? Reformed=yes/Non-Reformed = no. Matt 1:21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." Rev 5:9 "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation 1Pet 1:18-21 you were ransomed not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God A. Actual Savior or possible Savior? Was anybody
B. The Sufficiency of Christ: Is work of Christ alone sufficient to save? Reformed = yes. Non-Reformed = No. 1. Lewis Sperry Chafer: Christ s death does not save either actually or potentially; rather, it makes all men savable. 2. Robert Lightner rejects the Calvinist view that the work of Christ on the cross was effective in and of itself. Rom 5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. Gal 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on
C. The Substitutionary nature of the atonement: Calvinism into Arminianism has occurred in recent decades. Thus, many Arminians whose theology is not very precise say that Christ paid the penalty for our sins...Arminians teach that what Christ did He did for every person, therefore what He did could not have been to pay the penalty, since no one would then ever go into eternal perdition " 1. Arminian scholar J. Kenneth Grider: A spillover from understand upon what basis the Father could forgive those who repent and believe, especially since there is no substitution and hence no payment of the penalty for sin. 2. James White's response to Grider: It is very difficult to 3. The Scriptures:
Gal 1;2 [Jesus] who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." 1Pe 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. between the persons of Trinity? 2. Would God send His Son to die to merely be a potential Savior, to make people "savable", and potentially die in vain? Would He leave accomplishment up to sinners? D. The wisdom of God: 1. Trinitarian plan of redemption: Is there conflict
Jn 10:26-29 26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 2Tim 1:9-10 [God] who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel
E. The power of God: Is God able to save everyone He wants to save, or not? Reformed: Neither the Architect of the plan of salvation nor the Savior experience frustration. Jn 6:37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me Rom 8:29-30 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
F. The justice of God: Can God punish a person for an offence that has already been punished in Christ? Heb 9:11-14 He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption he has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. James White: " Are we to understand these words to mean that Christ has obtained 'the savability' of mankind? Is this what 'eternal redemption' means? Not at all If His self-sacrifice puts away sin, how can any man for whom Christ died be held accountable for those sins? Such involves 'double jeopardy,' the punishment of Christ and the punishment of the man for the same sins! This is not the intention of Scripture."
G. Does Jesus Christ alone save, is man a co-savior? 1Co 1:30-31 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." Bottom line: The Reformed believe that God implemented a perfect plan to save a multitude of hell deserving sinners through the perfect work of an all-powerful Savior who perfectly accomplished, secured and guaranteed the salvation of every person He came to save that was given to Him by the Father. All that Christ perfectly accomplished in His death and resurrection is then perfectly applied by the Holy Spirit to all those chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, all to God's glory alone.
V. Scriptural Overview VI. Objections VII. Quotes Perseverance of the Saints
V. Quotes: J.I. Packer: We have not seen the full meaning of the Cross till we have seen it as the center of the Gospel, flanked on one hand by total inability and unconditional election, and on the other by irresistible grace and final preservation. Greg Bahnsen: Itisn t the cross plus my converted heart that equals salvation; rather, it is the cross that gives me a converted heart and therefore salvation. Charles Spurgeon: I had rather believe a limited atonement that is efficacious for all men for whom it was intended, than a universal atonement that is not efficacious for anybody, except the will of man be joined with it.
The Arminian [Non-Reformed] says, Christ died for all men. Ask them what they mean by it. Did Christ die so as to secure the salvation of all men? They say, No, certainly not. Did Christ die to secure the salvation of any man in particular? They answer no. Now, who is it that limits the death of Christ? Why, you. You say that Christ did not die so as to infallibly secure the salvation of anybody We say Christ so died that He infallibly secured the salvation of a multitude that no man can number, who through Christ s death not only may be saved, but are saved, must be saved, and cannot by any possibility run the hazard of being anything but saved. - Charles Haddon Spurgeon
IV. Answer to objections A. The world and all. 1. 1 John 2:2 2. John 12:32 3. 2 Pet 3:9
